If We Don't Get There
by bella11356
Summary: The war is over and the seven kingdoms are at peace, with the iron king on the throne. But he is not the iron king, in the end he is just Gendry and she is just Arya...
1. Chapter 1

_Do what you feel, not what you say._

The God's had smiled on him.

He wasn't quite sure if it were the old Gods, or the new, but frankly he didn't care. They had pulled him out of the filth that was his former life and placed him in the cold hard, iron chair that was the throne. The Iron King they called him. That part he wasn't so impressed with...the king part of it all. He was just still pleased with a warm meal, a hot bath, and a soft bed.

The entire realm apparently knew about the whore habits his father had, yet they turned their head and pretended. Pretended the bastard children didn't exist, while at the same time pretending the blond haired, green eye children of Cersei were truly Baratheons. Everyone knew, they all knew, but slowly with time forgot that things as such existed.

Until Brienne of Tarth had found him in that inn. He went with her unwillingly to Kings Landing, but once Varys and Littlefinger both confirmed what she believed, it was only a matter of time. It had taken a few years and a lot of hiding to get there, but the timing had aligned and his allies where in order...

Cersei had given up the throne and legitimized him as they had began to threaten Tommen with vats of wild fire and such, but not until she was at knifepoint. Gendry had made sure was "wildfire" was none such, but looked a close double. Enough that Cersei wept as her youngest was gagged and bound...she always had a soft spot for him. Maybe it was the way he squired as they tied him...or maybe it was the way he was a splitting image of his Uncle Jaime.

After, they were locked away, under heavy guard in the chambers she had so nicely given her own brother, Tyrion, after the battle of black water. He had the window filled in but didn't bother to clear out the useless pieces of furniture and unwanted things. It was the same courtesy that she had extended her own dying brother. He felt bad for the boy, keeping him confined to the small, unlivable quarters but he couldn't risk it. Cersei was a snake and just because she was locked away didn't mean she wasn't a danger. He planned to make the boy his ward soon enough, and send Cersei somewhere far, far away. The boy shouldn't be punished for his mothers crimes Gendry had argued. The council didn't like it, but accepted it all the same.

Gendry had fallen into a routine. It had been years now since he was out on his own, with the brothers, and before that with Arya and Hot Pie on the road. Amusement crossed his face when he through of little Arya Stark...all dirty with her hair chopped, but with her attitude as big as the sky. She was never taken, never backdown, and never gave up. It was been more than a year since he had seen her last, not since he toured the now peaceful kingdom. She was at the wall, under the care of her brother, John Snow. It was no place for a girl he had augured with her, as of than her options were there or with Sansa and Lord Balish in the Vail...Gendry smiled as he remembered Arya words the day she made her decision. It was his last day at the wall, and he had found her in the dining hall, cleaning up. She had stopped what she was doing, and looked up at him from across the room. Her hair was longer now, and it was weird to see her so clean. She was taller now, a maid of 16...no longer a girl.

"Come with me."

"No," she had answered him.

"Are you sure? Staying here...this is no place for a Lady," he had told her of the wall.

"I'm not a Lady, besides Sansa would push me out the moon door the first chance she got." He chuckled out loud at her and for a moment he reminded her of his father.

"Your much like your father, you know that?" she remarked as she crossed the room away from him to warm herself by the fire. Her footsteps hollow as her boots sounded on the wood of the floor.

Gendry ignored her comment, "Come back to Kings Landing with me, at least until Winterfell is rebuilt."

She had stared into the fire of the dining hall for a long while after that. Her arms crossed her chest, pondering the possibilities. Arya heard him come up behind her but didn't move. She could feel the warmth of his breath on the back of her neck as his arms intertwined around her. Their fingers found each other as the stubble on his chin tickled her.

"Come back with me Arry...please," he whispered against the soft skin of her neck. Arya shivered at the touch of his lips there against the tender skin. She spun in his arms and found his blue eyes staring intensely. She didn't take but a second to bring her hands to the base of his neck and tangle her fingers into the thick black hair she found there. She inhaled his scent deeply as she pulled his mouth to hers. He was more than willing, his arms tightening around her as their tongues met. The longer they kissed the tighter his hands gripped at the fabric of dress, the harder she pulled at his hair. She wanted to crawl inside his chest and never leave, to never feel that loneliness again. His hands were broad and strong as he held her, the hands of a smith. But he was tender with her all the same. Their lips fought for dominance over the other, neither unyielding. Never before had he wanted to drink anyone in as badly as in this moment. She intoxicated him on all levels clouding his judgement and messing with his mind. The feel of her kiss, the warmth of the fire, the soft mews she made as he ravaged her lips...all of it, every bit of her was perfect for him...just the way she was.

She broke the kiss and pulled away, breathing heavily. Not meeting his heavy gaze, she spoke to the floor, "I would rather died a thousands deaths than return to Kings Landing..." she whispered as she finally looked at him with tears in her eyes, "no matter who the king is."

She had torn herself from his arms and walked out of the hall...and he had never seen or heard from her since.

—-—

"Repeat your self and a lord with half a brain would do so wisely..."

" Arya Stark, sheath your dagger and let your Uncle go," Jon commanded.

"Did you hear him? Did you hear what he said?" she asked her bother as she slightly pushed the edge of the dagger into Edmure's neck a little more. Her arm was across his chest holding him in place against the wall...she was stronger than he expected.

"Yes I heard him, and I'm sorry to say, his idea isn't half bad."

Arya pushed her uncle to the floor, crossing the room toward Jon.

"You mean you'll have me do it? This is what you want for me? To be married off to some ninety and five year old man, for the sake of strengthening our tie to them?"

"Lord Frey has much to offer, it would be a wise pairing...besides Arry, you know he can't possibly live much longer, than you can marry whomever you wish."

"If you think for one second, I will let that old man into my bed..."

By this time Edmure had picked himself up off the floor and straightened his clothes.

"You will do this, you Lord and Uncle command it!"

"Do I look like I follow the commands of my Lord?" she questioned.

"Arya, listen to me," Jon said softly... "the Targaryen girl is coming, with dragons at that. Without the seven kingdoms united, she will prevail...would you like that? To see Gendry's head on a stake above the red keep?"

Arya drew her sword, the point finding the large vein in Jon's neck. "Do not say such things to me."

"They taught you well in Bravos dear sister." Jon remarked, a smirk on his face.

"It has already been arranged girl, it can not be stopped. Family, duty, honor...remember the words of your mother...how ashamed she would be of you now, the will happen, not even the king himself could stop this, remember last time we broke the promise? It cost both your mother and King, shall we have something like that happen again?" Edmure remarked, "You leave at first light."

Arya left at first light alright, with enough coin to feed her all the way to Kings Landing. She hated to betray her family this way, but there was no other option. She wiped the tears angrily from her cheeks as she pushed the house to a gallop away from the wall. She had a long way to go, but she knew no other place...

_*lyrics by Mesh*_


	2. Authors Note

I know this isn't an update, so I'm sorry if I got you excited! Thank you all so much for the review and views on this story! I didn't think it would get any attention at all! I have written more on it and I'm going to work to get something posted soon. I would like to warn you all that I never intended for this to be more then a few chapters long, I'm not good at long stories (obviously I can't even finish this one!) But I will try to post something in the next few days!


	3. Chapter 2

_you know that im lost without you, stumbling in the dark_

"Your Grace, a word with you?" Lord Baelish asked.

"Of course," Gendry answered as he stopped looking to intently at the map on the wall, taking a seat at his desk.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but a raven arrived from the Wall for you, from the Lord Commander of The Watch..." Lord Baelish said slowly, afraid to let the words spill from his mouth. They both knew who it concerned but neither wanted to say anything out loud. Gendry was afraid to ask and Littlefinger was afraid to tell. Lord Baelish had told him of the plan to wed Arya to Lord Frey only just days ago, but by then she was already missing. They had expected her to come back, but she hadn't, and news just traveled so slow up and down the Kings Road. It was a long trip all the way to The Wall, and still a long, long flight for a raven.

Gendry sat still with the scroll in his hand. He took a deep breath as he trembled, but reigned himself in, a king should not tremble. His eyes scanned the words and then scanned them again.

"What have you done about this?" he asked crumbling the letter in his fist.

"We have men looking for her, they left a few hours ago...we will find her my Lord. Arya Stark will not stay missing for long," Petyr told him.

"How ever many you have out, double it! Hell triple it. Put a price on her so high that anyone would be a mad fool to not bring her to me!" He exclaimed pounding both fist into his desk. Arya always got the best of him, always elicited the emotions he tried to keep hidden, to keep under control.

Lord Baelish bowed at the waist and left the room. The King was alone in his thoughts and suddenly they were tormented. The Kings Road was long with plenty of terror hidden along the way. Arya was smart, no doubt. But never for one second did he believe that she was lost. That she was still alone out there wandering around and she hadn't crossed one manor, one person...she was strong as well but any two hired men could easily over power her. They might fall victim to a brash sword attack first, but no matter, she was still a woman. He imagined her cold and alone, hungry and covered in mud. He remembered the long journey they had shared years before and wondered how she was going to do it on her own...to do it without him. He had images of her dress torn from her body...someone taking what had always rightfully been his. It had been some time since he had last seen her, but it was no matter. He remember her touch, her hair...her kiss.

His blood boiled and his rage threatened to over flow. He would have someone's head for this, for making her run. Jon was a fool to think he could control her, and that she would agree to just be given to that old, decrepit man. He could hang Jon for waiting this long to tell him. Three weeks...she had been out there, alone, possibly taken, for the last three weeks.

Gendry paced the length of the room, for hours. It was one of the first times since he became King, that he felt helpless.

He stopped pacing. There was someone more important in all this then Jon Snow. It was her uncle that was at the center of this arrangement; Jon was just none the wiser to not go along with it. He hadn't any experience with the way these houses work, the backstabbing and conniving nature of "noble men". This was the greed and stupidity of Edmure Tully.

"BAELISH!"

His scream echoed through the halls with a ferocity that nobody would ever challenge. It was only a moment later that Lord Baelish breezed into the room.

"Bring me Edmure Tully, I wish to speak with him..."

Lord Baelish nodded and smiled...his King was on the right track.

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Wherever he was holding her, she didn't know where she was. She didn't know how long it had been or if she would ever see daylight again. She could hear water running but she didn't know what it was or where it was. She did know she was underground. And she knew her Uncle was afraid of her. He kept her tightly bound, always threatening her with the thought of Lord Frey. Why he hadn't just turned her over to him, she wasn't sure. But she had started to convince herself it was just a matter of time.

Nobody would ever find her down here, it had to be somewhere close to a residence of Edmures, or somewhere he could stay as a welcomed guest... She was near The Twins, she would bet her life on it. Possibly somewhere hidden beneath the Whispering Woods. That meant she was about half way to Kings Landing...

Kings Landing...she tried not to think of him. Even he didn't have the power to find her here in this...whatever it was. A secret passage way maybe? A long forgotten dungeon under the woods? Gendry's hand only reached so far. And it did not reach into the darkness of this place. This moldy, damp, nasty place.

She saw the light first before she saw him coming. She felt her stomach turn when she heard him whistling.

"Hungry?" he asked tossing a stale loaf of bread her way, landing at her bound feet.

"Why don't you just marry me off already yeah? What good is it keeping me down here?" she asked with distaste.

"Your dowry is not quite...arranged," he admitted as he turned the lamp up higher so he could see her. "Do you know how dreadful you look?" Edmure asked just to make her mad.

She didn't give him the satisfaction.

"You should be interested to know that I've been summoned to King's Landing... apparently the boy thinks that I know something about your unfortunate disappearance from The Kings Road."

"He will find me, and then he will have your head...unless I take it first."

Edmure laughed before picking up the lamp. "Your King is a child, and no more of a threat to me than you are, you vile girl. To bad I need you..." He turned to walk away, "Enjoy your dinner...if you can reach it."

She could have cared less about the bread, she just cared what she got to see when he turned the lamp up. She wasn't so much in a room as she was in a partially finished out cave. The lump on the back of her head had finally gone down from when they had taken her from the road and she was finally seeing single again. Now if she could only make it over to that wall she just knew she could free her hands. Had her knee not been so knocked up she may have been able to jump back through and bring her hands to the front. But her Uncle made sure that wasn't going to happen for at least another few days...and in another few days she could be married. She was in trouble.

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Edmure sauntered into the Kings hall without a worry or care in the world. He wasn't afraid and he showed it to all the wondering eyes of the court that were milling about... But he underestimated who he was dealing with.

" Your Highness I-"

"Seize him," Gendry ordered with the wave of his hand. He lounged casually over the arm of the Iron Throne as he watched his Kings Guard surround Edmure. Littlefinger stood beside him, a smirk gracing his features. He had never much liked Edmure...

"I believe you have something I want." Gendry told him as he rose and walked into the circle of guards.

"My Lord, anything you want is yours," Edmure told him. His eyes followed the King as he walked around him, his armor clinking slightly... again and again...

"Are we going to keep pretending like you don't know that I'm asking, very kindly I might add, about your niece?"

"My Lord I am as worried as you are about her, the help you have given us has been so kind. I never knew she was such an interest to you," Edmure stammered as Gendry continued to circle him.

"You do not convince me..." He saw Edmure start to wring his hands slightly as he adjusted his stance. He shifted from foot to foot for just a second. It was all Gendry needed to see...Edmure was worried, but not about Arya. The King stopped walking, Edmure's back to him.

"How should I convince you Your Highness?" Edmure muttered. Before he could take his next breath, Gendry had unsheathed his dagger and had it held to his throat. Edmure seized up, still as anything. He felt the hot breath of his King at his ear, the rhythmic breathing was slow and steady...calm.

"You have a fortnight to deliver her here to me, and the bounty is yours. I'll double it if you bring her sooner..."

"But...but my Lord, she's pledged to Lord Frey..."

Suddenly everything was red...Gendry felt red, saw red, WAS _red_.

Quickly the dagger was brought up and sliced across Edmure's ear as he felt a crushing knee to his back and instantly he was on the ground, his breath nowhere to be found. The blood coming from his ear was warm and sticky as he soon found the side of his face pushed into the dirty floor of The Kings Hall.

"SHOULD A KING HONOR A TRAITOROUS PLEAGE BETWEEN YOU AND THAT OLD FOOL? DO YOU TAKE ME FOR AN IMBECILE?"

His scream was the only thing that echoed in the hall. Gendry could see where his spit had landed on Edmure's face as he crouched on top of him. He didn't struggle though, he knew his place was that of one lower then the King. Gendry got close to his face again...

"Fix what you have..._so stupidly..._caused and do it quickly," he whispered, "and if one hair on her head is harmed, I believe I'll have some new decoration to adorn the top of the keep..."

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In the darkness, her mind played tricks on her. It echoed Gendry calling her name over and over again. She would awaken but the cave before her was always dark, the same dark that it was before. Arya had lost track of the days and tried to concentrate on the trickling sounds of the water. It was calming at least.

But it was her dreams that tormented her... memories of forgotten moments long ago past that rose to the surface once again. It all just made her wonder.

What did he look like now? Had a few years of being King hardened his face? Surly his eyes were the same piercing blue they had been. Maybe his hands had softened some, the calluses of a smith now gone. Would they feel the same when he touched her?

Ohh she didn't want to think of this, to think of him, but it was all she could do to stay sane. To imagine his hands large and warm on her body as he pulled her into his bed. The way the scruff on his face would tickle her neck...the way she wouldn't be afraid to laugh and run her hand along it. She cried out to herself in the darkness of the cave, the thought of his whispered declarations of love directed to her. The way that he made her feel like a woman and not some grubby boy he had known on the road all those years ago.

It had been too long maybe... it had been at least 2 years since he left her on The Wall at her request. Look at where she was now... along in dark cavernous hole in the ground.

After a moment she began to laugh to herself. Why had she been so stupid, so hard-headed towards him? Why didn't she just yield and go with him when he wanted her? Was she fooling herself thinking that he was looking for her? Why would he care after all this time when she had denied him so.

She realized, no matter where she was... she was just in a dark cavernous hole in the ground. Because what was there for her in life without Gendry?

She looked around her...darkness, only darkness.

_I don't know where to turn, and here in the dark I'm burning,_

_lost without your love_

** Song credit to Amy Pearson**

**I don't own these characters...do I really have to disclaim that? :)**

**Authors note: I am so sorry if I spammed your e-mail with update notices! For some reason my little lines to break apart the chapter were not showing up! I hope you like this chapter though, it sort of took a life of its own at the end and really clicked for me! More to come! **


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